Someone Like You
by deathbybunny
Summary: Vivio falls in love with Fate and decides to take action. No longer a one-shot. NanohaxFatexVivio
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** So I was browsing around on nanofate .us when I came upon an interesting conversation. What if Vivio had a crush on Fate? Fate is a gorgeous girl who isn't dating anyone despite the fact that she and Nanoha have been living together for what seems like forever (although it can always be argued that they are together). During all this time, thanks to the effects of hormones, it's completely plausible for Vivio to develop a crush on her godmother and since there's nothing stopping her (age ain't nothing but a number) from wooing the blonde, well, things could get awkward…and hilarious. I'm still debating how funny I could make this since I could make this story all angsty too. Although, most of the feedback I get from you guys tells me that everyone thinks my forte is humor. So I'm writing this one shot to see how it goes. Probably shouldn't be writing another story considering I have like four others waiting for me to update, but you got to write when inspiration strikes.

**Disclaimer:** Continuing to admit that I do not own Magical Lyrical Girl Nanoha breaks my heart.

Someone Like You

It was on a sunny day on the night of her 16th birthday party that Vivio Takamachi realized that she loved her godmother and not in the family kind of way. Watching Fate laughing and enjoying the company of their friends and family only caused the butterflies in Vivio's stomach to go into overdrive. The burgundy-eyed woman had a truly beautiful smile. Hearing that melodious laugh only caused the younger blonde to smile fondly at her godmother. Fate was much older than herself, but the age difference did nothing to deter her feelings. The gorgeous blonde was always kind to everyone around her and perhaps that was what had drawn her to the older blonde at first. Then one incident set off a chain of events that changed her relationship with Fate.

Looking back now, she had come to realize that she'd started to feel something for the older woman when she was a mere 10 years old. She'd been training with her friends but she'd been careless and sprained her ankle. It was a rare week when Fate was actually home resting between missions and thus she'd been the one at home to receive the call of Vivio's little accident. The blonde arrived in a flash. Literally. Fate had donned her barrier jacket and used her Sonic Move in order to reach the gym where Vivio and her friends trained with Nove. Vivio had tried to reassure her that she was okay but Fate was having none of it. She picked up the smaller blonde bridal style and held her protectively against her chest all through their flight home. Vivio though the blush on her cheeks would never disappear after that little incident. She'd never felt so safe in someone's arms before. Sure her Nanoha-mama's hugs had a similar feeling but this one was different. She couldn't pin point it then, but that was the beginning of her crush.

After that, every little show of affection that Fate directed at her caused her heart to skip a beat, her cheeks to flush, and her love to grow. The rational part of her mind always reminded her that it was natural for Fate to kiss her or show her love for her because she was her family, but the love struck part kicked the logical part out and instead encouraged her feelings.

When she was 12 years old, Vivio decided it was time to start doing something about her crush. She decided it was time she stopped referring to Fate as Fate-mama. The heartbroken look Fate had given Vivio after she'd called her Fate-san almost caused the heterochromatic-eyed girl to cry right along with her godmother. Nanoha had even scolded her for being cruel to Fate but Vivio held steady and accustomed herself and Fate to the change. Every now and then, Vivio would see the sadness in those burgundy eyes but she needed to break Fate away from the motherly role she'd been playing in her life. Placing distance between them that was necessary if she wanted to get Fate to see her not as a daughter, but as a woman in the future.

At age 15, Vivio realized that she had a rival. That rival was none other than her own mother. Vivio had suspected for quite sometime that her mother and Fate had something going on between them. She couldn't see how the two women lived with each other and even slept in the same bed but had never done anything except sleep. She'd thoroughly investigated the two women before jumping to any conclusions. She'd determined that her mother did not seem to hold any special feelings for Fate other than that of friendship. Fate on the other hand, she'd discovered held a love for mother that burned so strongly, that she feared she'd never be able to overcome it. Then, something completely out of left field turned things in her favor. Nanoha had agreed to date Yuuno Scrya. They kept it a secret, however, which Vivio didn't understand why until she found out that Fate had actually confessed to Nanoha before but was rejected.

Things slowly began to fall into place for Vivio but her heart broke to see Fate's life seemingly fall apart. It didn't take long for Fate to figure out what Nanoha was doing in secret. She wasn't an Enforcer for nothing after all. She remembered when Fate packed her bags on that stormy night and moved out of the Takamachi's home. Vivio had practically begged the blonde not to go. Fate may have been gone from home most of the time, but the fact that she always came back to them, to her, always made waiting for her return much more bearable. There would be no one to welcome home anymore.

Yuuno Scrya slowly began to make his presence in the house more noticeable and Vivio hated it. She may have been trying to get Fate to notice her as a woman but that didn't mean she wanted Fate to be miserable. It was only for this reason that Vivio hated seeing the blonde male in her home, trying to act like her father. Nanoha was not ready for the teenage rebellion that struck. Her once well-behaved daughter began to talk back, disobeyed her rules and would disappear during the night whenever Yuuno was around. Vivio of course was not stupid enough to just go anywhere on the nights she would escape her home. She'd always go to one place and one place only.

Fate's apartment.

The younger blonde would spend the night, catching up with the older blonde since Fate hardly visited them anymore. When Vivio asked why, Fate would always answer with a sad smile.

"It's for the best."

Vivio didn't buy it, which is why tonight she was going to make her move. She knew that no one else loved Fate as much as she did. Perhaps her mother was the only other person that could rival her love, but the kind of love Fate needed wasn't that of a friend. The older blonde deserved a bit of happiness in her life too and Vivio was going to do her best to try and fill the void her mother had left.

Squaring her shoulders, Vivio marched over to Fate who was sitting on the sofa with Hayate on one side of her and Signum on the other. The three had been talking about the mission she'd just returned from.

"Fate?"

The older blonde stopped talking and smiled at the younger girl who stood before her.

"Yes, Vivio-chan?"

Vivio's cheeks suddenly burned and she felt her heart beat faster than before. Hayate noticed the change in the younger girl and grinned. She had a feeling something scandalous was about to happen. She held back an evil laugh from just thinking about what was about to go down.

"I-I…"

Fate tilted her head to the side confused. Vivio almost fainted from seeing how cute Fate looked like that. How was it that she managed to look so damn gorgeous even when confused?

"Is everything okay Vivio-chan?" Fate stood up and placed a hand on Vivio's forehead. "You look a bit flushed. Are you feeling well?"

Fate's intoxicating scent was making Vivio dizzy. She had to lean on Fate for support but that only caused her to become even more flustered. If she didn't know any better, she'd think that Fate was doing this to her on purpose. Using whatever bit of strength she had left she pushed Fate away from her body.

"V-Vivio-chan?" Fate felt even more confused. She knew that Vivio was going through a rebellious phase with Nanoha and she feared that Vivio would be doing the same with her. It had been hard enough when Vivio distanced herself from her but they had at least gotten to a comfortable place where they were friends since Vivio had made it clear that she didn't want Fate to be her mother.

"Viv…" Her goddaughter's name died in her throat when Vivio grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and brought her down to her level. She soon found a soft pair of lips over her own.

Everything came to a screeching halt. All the guests in the Takamachi home could only stare in stunned silence at what was happening. It seemed like ages before Vivio pulled away. Fate was too stunned to do anything except remain frozen in her spot. Vivio shot a look over towards her mother, who was standing off to her side with Yuuno. She couldn't help the smirk that made its way to her face.

"Mine." She said without breaking eye contact with Nanoha. She then placed one more soft kiss to Fate's lips before skipping off to her room. She figured she better seek shelter before her mother exploded. Her friends, who were at this party as well, quickly ran after her. They were afraid of what the White Devil was about to do since she looked ready to murder someone.

"Holy shit! Fate you're a cradle robber!" Hayate exclaimed.

The only response she got was Fate falling back on the couch. Unconscious. Hayate laughed until tears came out of her eyes. She'd seen this coming for sometime now. The only question was would Nanoha take this lying down? She knew that Nanoha was giving Yuuno a chance but last she checked they were on the rocks. The strain of raising Vivio on her own had been showing ever since Fate had moved out and it was becoming increasingly evident that Yuuno was not going to be able to replace the blonde Enforcer in the Takamachi home since the two Takamachi woman wanted only one person in their lives and that was Fate. It was a shame though that it took Fate leaving for Nanoha to come to her senses. This, however, would definitely turn into a blood bath with how…aggressive mother and daughter could be.

"VIVIO TAKAMACHI!"

Yup, Hayate was certain a blood bath was sure to ensue from this.

**AN:** Again, not sure where this is going or where I could take it. I'm going to leave it as a one-shot for now, but that doesn't mean there isn't a possibility that I'll come back to it and make it into a full-blown story. If I do decide to go the route of a story then I'll probably need to decide whether to make it drama filled or more humorous. Could always try to go for both since I think I managed to do it with this one shot. Let me know what you guys think.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Wow, I can't believe I finally wrote this. I hadn't expected it, but since the first chapter was so popular and I got plenty of requests to continue it, I've decided to give it a shot. So I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. Maybe one day…

Someone Like You

It had been hours since "The Incident" otherwise known as the start of "Takamachi World War" or TWW. It was no surprise that Hayate had taken it upon herself to name this event. It didn't help that everyone who had been present was now calling it that as well. So far, it seemed that TWW was the more popular thing to refer it to. That though, was the least of Fate T. Harlaowns worries. Hayate could call it whatever she wanted. It didn't change the fact that it happened.

It being the very public kiss Vivio gave her.

With a thump, Fate's head hit the counter of the bar she was currently sitting at. Once she'd been able to escape the place she use to call home, the first place she felt she needed to visit was the bar. Normally, she wasn't one for drinking but she needed this. Her mind was a jumble of questions and none were being answered causing a headache to form. Nothing like the numbing effect of alcohol to silence any unnecessary thoughts and questions.

"Refill." Fate lifted her arm listlessly to grab the attention of the bartender.

"I think you've had enough." A gruff voice interrupted.

Fate turned her head to look at the person who took a seat next to her. The pink haired woman sat down with a smirk on her face. Burgundy eyes narrowed at her. Signum wasn't usually one tease, but it seemed that even this was too much for her to pass up. They sat in silence for a few seconds. It was too much for her to handle. Fate decided to bite the bullet and get the teasing over with.

"Whatcha smirkin' bout?" the blonde was surprised she managed to sound semi coherent considering she'd pretty much drank an entire bottle of whiskey by herself. Instead of answering, Signum ordered herself a glass of gin, forcing Fate to continue to wait for the inevitable teases that would be thrown her way. The blonde sometimes worried at how much Hayate actually rubbed off on her knights. It was sure to be hell when they all got together for their gatherings. Signum's drink came. Still the pink haired woman just sat there and swirled the drink in her hands. She brought the glass to her lips and took a small sip before setting it back down on the counter.

Fate couldn't take it anymore. Her hands flew to her hair and she sat up straight.

"Jus shay it! Chu think imma cradle robber! A pedo! A pervert!" With a thunk, Fate's head fell back onto the counter.

Signum can't help but chuckle at her friend's outburst. The pink haired knight hadn't actually come to make fun of the blonde. In actuality, she was there to offer her support. After all, it wasn't everyday that the little girl you once thought of as a daughter crushed every image you had of her by delivering a mind-numbing kiss to you in front of friends and family. Now that she thought about it, she was pretty sure that almost never happened. To anyone. Fate must be one lucky (or unlucky) person.

"Calm down Testarossa. I'm not here to rub more salt your wound."

A teary eyed Fate turned head on the counter towards her friend.

"Chur not?"

Signum shook her head. "No but she is." She pointed behind her towards a certain brunette commander. Fate groaned and turned her face back towards the counter. On the bright side, Signum was at least there for moral support.

"Fate~" came a sing songy voice. Hayate nodded towards her knight as she took a seat on the other side of Fate. She saw the various glasses strewn around her blonde friend and came to the same conclusion Signum had when she'd arrived. "I think you've had enough to drink for one night Fate-chan."

"Chu think?"

Hayate sighed. She had been there originally to poke fun at the blonde since she'd been robbed of this opportunity when Fate fainted at the party. Seeing her like this however, she felt like teasing would be counter productive to Fate's state. She turned to the bartender and ordered herself a glass of vodka on the rocks. Her drink came, but the three friends stayed silent. Minutes passed with no sign of any sort of tease. This prompted Fate to sit up and eye the brunette next to her.

"Water." Fate simply told the bartender. He quickly complied and handed her a glass with a pitcher of water. It seemed that even he thought she needed to sober up. Fate quickly poured herself a glass and downed it in two gulps. She set it down and stared at the empty glass. Her mind swirled with questions once again about Vivio's kiss.

"What should I do?" a more subdued and sober sounding Fate whispered.

Hayate sighed. It was a complicated question. One with no right or wrong answer really, Hayate shook her head. That wasn't quite right however, since some people might think this had a perfectly clear answer. Many would more than likely just tell Fate to reject the younger girl. There were far too many "moral" reasons for her to do so after all. Those people though knew nothing about the girl at the heart of this debacle. Vivio wasn't your typical little girl. She also, wasn't so little anymore. Her feelings couldn't be simply pushed aside like she was just confused or young. She was far more mature than anyone gave her credit for. Vivio had been through things that no child should have to face. She was much like Fate in a way; both grew up far too fast through no fault of their own.

"I don't know Fate, but I do know you shouldn't make any hasty decisions." Hayate took a sip of her drink. "There are too many things to consider."

Fate knew what those things were. She was far too aware of them.

"Just know that, I will not judge your decision and don't let others around you try to sway you. They don't know anything."

Silence.

"I'm scared."

Hayate and Signum both looked confused.

"Scared of what?" Signum asked.

"Of loving someone again."

Hayate knew she had to tread carefully. This was the first time Fate had revealed her feelings in regards to her failed confession to Nanoha. When it had happened, Fate withdrew herself from everyone for a while. It wasn't hard for her to do since her job as an Enforcer kept her away most of the time. Still, it hadn't been difficult to see that something had changed between Nanoha and Fate. Their friends all sensed it but no one was brave enough to breach the subject with a ten foot pole. Instead, they left it alone, letting Fate deal with it in her own way. Hayate now wished she hadn't left her friends to their own devices. Look what had happened. Nanoha began secretly dating Yuuno and Fate moved out of the Takamachi home. It was like something out of the Twilight Zone.

"What do you mean?" Hayate asked. Did Fate think she could actually love someone other than Nanoha? Did that mean Vivio stood a chance?

Before she could get an answer thought, Fate's head dropped back onto the bar's counter. Signum and Hayate blinked, unsure of what had just happened.

"Fate?" Hayate poked the blonde. All she got was a light snore as a response. "Geez, you really did have to much to drink."

"We better take her home." Signum suggest.

"Yeah, it is getting pretty late." Hayate paid their tabs while Signum slung one of Fate's arms around her neck. The two girls guided their unconscious friend to the brunette's car.

**-SomeoneLikeYou-**

"What were you thinking? How could you think that was remotely appropriate!" Nanoha scolded her daughter. It'd been hours since everyone left. Vivio was sitting on one side of the kitchen table with Nanoha on the other. Yuuno was in the kitchen making tea for everyone. Vivio had been less than pleased to see that the blonde male would be staying the night. Again. She especially didn't want him there for the discussion she and her mother were about to have. This did not concern him. No matter if he was dating her mother. That made him nothing to her.

"I was making my move." Vivio stated simply.

Nanoha glared. "Your move? Move to do what exactly?"

Vivio smirked at her mother. "To make Fate my woman."

Nanoha clenched her hands into fists. "What?"

"You heard me. I'm letting Fate know that I'm available for her and only her."

"You can't do that." Nanoha ground out.

"I don't see what the problem is."

"You're only 16 Vivio! Fate-chan is much older than you! It's not right!"

"Age shouldn't matter! I love her!" Vivio countered.

"W-What?" Nanoha asked stunned.

In the kitchen, Yuuno almost dropped the tray he was carrying to the table. He was just as shocked to hear Vivio's confession as Nanoha was. The blonde man tried to make himself as unassuming as possible as he placed the teacups at the table.

"Vivio…your confused." Nanoha managed to spit out. "You don't know what lo…"

"Don't." Vivio interrupted her mother. "Don't even try to use that on me. Just because you were doesn't mean I am. I know what this feeling is. I've known I've loved her for a while now and that kiss confirmed it. I felt it, the spark, the fireworks whatever you want to call it. I'm sure she must have felt it too."

Nanoha didn't know what to feel. Things between Fate and herself had been complicated. Even now, they were still walking on eggshells around each other, but it wasn't as bad as it was before. When she'd first rejected her, Fate was predictably jumpy around her. She'd never stay in her presence alone. Then she began to take missions that would keep her off world for longer than a few weeks. It's been a difficult time to see her best friend pulling away from her like that. Then one day, Fate came back and things seemingly returned to normal. She'd been baffled at first but the feeling of having her back in her life out weighed whatever doubts she had.

Then she went and ruined everything again. Nanoha knew that Fate never really stopped loving her. She'd seen it in her eyes. Whenever Fate thought she wasn't looking, she'd see the longing in those burgundy pools. This made Nanoha feel special. That someone loved her like that…it was flattering. Then Yuuno came along and confessed to her as well. He'd asked for a chance. Nanoha thought about it and decided to give him the chance he sought. This was the normal route to take after all. Get married to a nice man, start a family…these were things normal people did. Wasn't it about time she did too? She thought about Fate's confession and how she'd rejected her. Why had she rejected her? Fate very clearly loved her. She doubted any of her friends or family would care if she dated a woman. The answer was simple: she didn't know if she liked Fate in that way.

She knew she cared very much for her best friend. Of that she did not doubt. Yet, she was also scared. Scared of where things could lead if they failed. She didn't want to lose someone that had been such a big part of her life. The auburn haired girl just didn't know what to do. So, she decided to see if dating Yuuno would help her figure things out. She felt bad for the boy since she was using him as her guinea pig, but it was better than using Fate for her experiment. That's also why she asked him to keep it a secret that they were dating. He'd been all to eager to comply since she'd actually given him a chance. Then Fate found out, she thought Fate would never talk to her again. The blonde withdrew even further from her. Then on that rainy day, Fate moved out. She had wondered why her heart hurt so much. Is that what a broken heart felt like?

Now, here she was, listening to her daughter talk of love like it was the easiest thing in the world to understand. She was talking about loving the one person who claimed loved **her** and only **her**. The anger she felt was unbearable. Was she jealous? Is this why she felt angry and resentful towards her daughter this entire time? Because she had the guts to face her feelings head on and not back down?

"_I'm jealous…of my own daughter."_

"I forbid you from pursuing her."

Vivio glared. "You can't tell me what to do."

"I am your mother and as long as you live under my roof, you'll obey my rules whether you like it or not."

Vivio stood up. The chair she'd been sitting on flew back and fell to the floor. The blonde girl slammed her hands on the table causing her teacup to fall to its side, spilling it's liquid contents all over the table. 

"Nothing will stop me from loving Fate. Not you and not society." Vivio smiled. "You know, you shouldn't be all jealous in front of your boyfriend like that. He might start to think you don't actually like him."

"You're starting to push your luck." Nanoha stood to face down her daughter.

"Whatever, I'm outta here."

"Where do you think your going!" Nanoha was now beyond angry.

"To Fate's."

"Your not going anywhere except your room!"

Instead of heeding her mother's warning Vivio ran to the door. Nanoha was hot on her heels. Vivio grabbed her shoes, not bothering to slip them on as she ran outside.

"Chris!"

Vivio transformed and took to the air.

"VIVIO!"

Yuuno took hold of Nanoha's hand, preventing her from transforming and taking off after her.

"Nanoha, you can't just transform and fly after her. You don't have flight clearance."

The auburn hair girl gritted her teeth and ripped her hand out of Yuuno's hold.

"I'm going after her."

Yuuno didn't dare try to stop her as she went to her garage and got into her car. He didn't know why, but he felt like she was leaving him in more ways than one.

**-SomeoneLikeYou-**

It was 2am when Fate heard a knocking at her window. Groggily, she got up from her bed. She looked down at herself. It seemed like Hayate and Signum had just dumped her on her bed without bothering to change her. She preferred it that way. She loved Hayate but she was a bit wary of the girl's grabby hands. She thanked god that the few hours of sleep she got sobered her up. Then again, she had started drinking rather early and she was only at that bar an hour tops. The sound of another knock broke her out of her thoughts. She went over to the window and pulled her curtains back. To say she was shocked to see Vivio floating in front of her window was an understatement. The teenager smiled sheepishly at the older blonde. Fate opened the window and let the girl in.

"What are you doing out this late?"

Vivio was about to answer, but suddenly seeing Fate again caused her to become unusually shy. She instead chose to look anywhere but Fate.

"M-Mama and I had an argument. I didn't want to stay at home."

"Oh." Fate had a pretty good idea what it was they fought about. "And she let you come here?"

"Uh, not exactly."

Fate felt her headache coming back. If Vivio came to her apartment without permission, which meant Nanoha was probably on her way. On normal nights when Vivio would escape to her place, she'd at least go back home before Nanoha woke up. Not that she approved of what Vivio did, but she didn't want Vivio to get mad at her and stop coming to her. Fate sighed. She wondered if she was this bad when she was a teenager.

"So that means your mother is on her way?"

"I-I'm sorry. I started all this and…"

"It's alright Vivio-chan. You don't have to apologize."

Vivio blushed. Did Fate mean she didn't have to apologize for her feeling or for unintentionally bringing her mother's wrath to her home? Either way, she was happy to hear that. Her blush intensified when Fate took her hand and led her to the living room. She felt like she was in heaven.

Fate for her part, decided that it was probably a good idea to take Vivio to the living room to wait for Nanoha. The last thing she wanted was for Nanoha to burst in and find them in her room. She doubted Nanoha would care if they were both fully clothed. All she'd see was that her daughter was in her supposed love's room, on a bed.

"Do you want something to drink?" Fate offered.

"No I'm fine. Thank you though."

The two sat on the couch. An awkward silence filled the room. Fate didn't know what to say to Vivio. She hadn't had the time to think about her situation and she sure as hell did not want to mess this up. She cared for the younger girl and she'd never forgive herself if she hurt her with careless words.

"Umm, Vivio?"

The blonde jumped slightly.

"Y-yes?"

"A-About what happened at your party?"

"Y-yeah?" Vivio felt her heart hammering in her chest. Was Fate going to reject her? Just thinking about that made her want to cry. Fate noticed the change in the younger girl quite easily. She mentally kicked herself. Whether she liked it or not, she needed to think of some sort of resolution to come to about the girl beside her. Hayate had been right about needing to consider all the factors in this situation but when you didn't have the luxury to think about things you just had to go with your instincts.

Gently, she lifted Vivio's chin so that she could look at her. It was hard to ignore the sadness in those eyes.

"Listen Vivio-chan, I'm not going to lie. I was really surprised that you kissed me like that. Umm, I don't exactly know how I feel about you Vivio-chan. You were like a daughter to me for the longest time and now you've become a very important friend in my life. There's a lot of things that are working against you. Our age for one but that doesn't seem to bother you so I guess I'm just worried I'm going to hurt you. I don't want that, but I do want to respect your feelings. Your not a little girl anymore and I think you've earned the right to be treated as an adult."

"W-What are you trying to say?"

"I just want you to know that if your serious about this, I won't stop you from trying."

"You mean?"

"Y-yeah. I don't know if I can love you like you love me, but if you can get me to fall for you then who am I to say no?"

Vivio was happy. So incredibly happy that she did not hesitate to jump Fate.

"Whoa!"

Fate found herself on her back with a sobbing teenager on top of her. She smiled slightly and wrapped her arms around the crying girl.

"Shh, don't cry Vivio-chan."

Vivio laughed through her tears.

"I can't help it. I'm just so happy."

Vivio lifted herself off of Fate a bit to look down at the older woman.

"Thank you. Thank you for this chance."

Fate smiled at her and wiped away Vivio's tears with her thumb. It was during this tender moment that the door to Fate's apartment was broken down. Fate and Vivio froze in their spots as Nanoha walked through and looked at the scene before her. There were very few times that Fate feared for her life, this was one of the few times. Vivio quickly got off Fate allowing the blonde woman to stand and get between her and Nanoha.

"Nanoha…"

"Don't. I don't want to hear it. I'm just here for my daughter."

Sighing, she turned to look at Vivio.

"You heard her."

"I don't want to go! I came here because Yuuno was staying over again!"

"He's not staying over!" Nanoha yelled.

"He always wants to stay over! You think I want to be there when you two are together!"

"That's not the issue here!"

"Stop!" Fate yelled. "Just stop. Vivio-chan, Nanoha is still your mother. You shouldn't yell at her like that."

"I'm sorry." Vivio hated being lectured by Fate. It felt like she was acting like her mother. Something she'd worked so hard to break Fate of.

The older blonde turned her burgundy eyes to her best friend.

"We can talk about this later. Okay?"

"Fine."

With that, Fate nodded for Vivio to go. The teenager reluctantly got up and followed her mother out. She turned back to Fate and mouthed something.

"_I'll call you later."_

Fate was left alone once more. She looked at the door that lay on the floor. Her landlord was not going to be happy about that.

**AN:** That's it for now! Review and let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: **Holy crap, 99 reviews? You guys are the best and for being so awesome, I present to you chapter 3! It must've felt like you were waiting forever for this chapter to come. I hope you guys enjoy. I tried to make this chapter a little longer than the last one.

Also, I usually try to answer reviewer questions but since I take forever to write chapters for this story (Not to mention there is a ton of reviews to sort through), I'll be answering questions from reviews as they come as opposed to in the Author's Notes like I do with my other stories. I figure this will be more efficient and you get to have your questions answered sooner as opposed to three months later or whenever I finally get a chapter done. Alright so on with the story!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing!

Someone Like You

_Nanoha was standing before her. Head bowed, bangs covering her eyes. Her mouth was moving but no words came out. Fate knew though. She knew what the girl before her was saying, those words that played like a broken record._

"_I'm sorry Fate-chan."_

_Nanoha began to walk away. Fate tried to yell for her to wait, but no sound came out. Her legs would not move. They felt heavy as lead, keeping her rooted to her spot. Yuuno was suddenly standing next to Nanoha. The two smiling at each other as they walked further and further away from the blonde who could do nothing but reach out to them. Her silent screams going unnoticed to everyone but her._

"No!"

Fate gasped as she rolled over causing her to fall to the floor. Her heart raced as she stared wide eyed at her living room ceiling. The sound of the fans rhythmic twirling helped her to relax herself if only a little. Why did she have to have that dream? Well, it more of a nightmare than anything else. Grimacing, she pushed herself up into a sitting position. She gingerly rubbed the arm that broke her fall. It had been a bad idea to sleep on the couch after all, but the events of a few hours ago left her with barely any energy to make it back to her room.

Her day had been taxing enough as it was; her unexpected visitors did quite a number on her mental strain. After Nanoha and Vivio left, she still couldn't sleep even though her weary mind yearned for her to just lie down. She knew she'd dream of something she'd rather not think about, which is why she'd taken it upon herself to fix her front door. It would be better than bothering her landlord about it. Not like it wasn't easily repairable by her. The door had only been thrown off its hinges, so it was only a matter of screwing it back into the wall. Repairing it hadn't taken her as long as she'd thought which left her with only time to think. Again, this was something she didn't really want to do. Picking between the lesser of two evils, Fate decided it would be better to face whatever her dreams could throw at her. It probably wouldn't be any worse than what her thoughts would lead her to. She'd been right.

[Sir, transmission from Hayate-san.]

"Put her through." Her voice sounded a lot raspier than she thought it would. She cleared her throat hoping it would sound better.

"_Fate-chan! Whoa, you look like crap."_

"Gee, thanks." Fate ran a hand through her hair trying to tame her wild locks.

"_Well, it's the truth. What happened? You were totally passed out after we you left you. Don't tell me you got up to drink more~"_ Hayate playfully speculated. Fate knew better though. Sometimes, Hayate's playful moods could be deceptive. The brunette didn't make commander just because she was a talented magician although it certainly didn't hurt to be known as one of the three aces.

If she had to guess, Hayate probably wasn't making this call just to make sure she wasn't horribly hung over. These "check-up" calls were happening more often than before. Maybe the brunette felt she had to watch out for her now since she'd felt she hadn't been there for the blonde Enforcer when the incident with Nanoha went down. Fate had already told everyone though that she had no ill feeling towards anyone for that….well except for the obvious turmoil she felt around Nanoha but that was a given. She would never force her friends to take sides on that issue which is why she'd chosen to keep her feeling to herself and dealt with the aftermath on her own.

Fate sighed. "No, I had some…unexpected visitors last night."

"_Really? Who?"_

There was a visible shift in Fate's posture. Hayate was quick to notice the blonde go rigid. Fate remained silent as she remembered the events of the previous night… or earlier that morning. However one wanted to look at it. That was enough to clue in Hayate on what possibly happened. Not a lot of people could cause that sort of reaction from Fate.

"_I see. It went that bad?"_

The blonde covered her face with one hand and leaned her head back against the couch.

"All things considering, it probably could've gone a lot worse. At least all Nanoha did was break down my front door."

"_Well if she's in a bad mood today at least I know why now. I have the preemptive strike on her!"_

"You sound like you're going into battle." Fate's said with a slight smile.

"_Life is a battle field Fate-chan." _Hayate answered sagely. Fate chose not to say anything about the saying being "love is a battle field" not "life is a battle field", although, that comparison wasn't too far off either. "_How about having lunch with me later? We can talk more about this then. Unfortunately, I have a meeting to get to. I just wanted to make sure you weren't dying from a hangover."_

"A hangover would be easier to deal with." Fate sighed. "But I'll take you up on your lunch offer. I'll see you then."

"_Sounds good, I'll see you later Fate-chan."_

The transmission cut off. Fate didn't move from her spot on the floor. She continued to look up at the ceiling. In the month or so since she'd moved into the apartment, she'd stayed in it a total of 5 times. More often than not, she'd be out doing her work as an Enforcer around the universe. Lately, she hadn't received a job that would keep her out for longer than a week mainly because her long overdue vacation hadn't been too far off so they didn't want to assign her something that was going to take up too much time for her to accomplish which was fine with her. After the last assignment that kept her away for six months, she was looking forward to a small break. That mission had been a godsend at the time though. Before she'd been sent on the long mission, she'd worked up the courage to finally confess her feeling to her childhood friend.

"Because that did me a lot of good."

The rejection of her feelings made her relive some dark emotions she hadn't felt since she was a little girl. Ironic really, that the person who caused those emotions had been the one who chased them away in the first place. Her jumbled feelings towards Nanoha were doing little to help.

She stilled loved Nanoha, but that love was a double edge sword that constantly wounded her whenever she was around the auburn haired girl. That time away though helped her gather her thoughts and feelings. She was hurt. There was no denying that, but she knew she couldn't and shouldn't use that as a reason to hurt Nanoha as well. If her friend didn't see her that way then she had to respect her feelings as well. Nanoha still wanted to be friends with her despite Fate's romantic feeling for her. Fate didn't want to lose everything they'd had up until then so she'd resigned herself to just being Nanoha's best friend. It'd be better than losing her completely.

At least that's what she'd thought. Then Yuuno came into the picture. It'd been far too much for Fate to take. Her feeling had already been rejected but then she had to stomach knowing Nanoha had accepted someone else's… there was no conceivable way she'd be okay with something like that. It was too cruel of Nanoha to think she'd be okay with that. This had given her the resolve she needed to move out of the place she'd called home for years.

Fate raised her head to look around her apartment. This wasn't her home. She wasn't sure if she could ever call it that. Burgundy eyes continued to roam, like it was the first time she was looking at the room.

There was very little in terms of decoration. Then again, she'd never been one for decorating. When she and Nanoha had moved into their…Nanoha's house, the auburn haired girl had taken it upon herself to fill their walls with things she thought would make Fate feel more at home. The blonde though hadn't really cared what went up on those empty walls. She only cared that Nanoha was there. That was her home. Together with the person she loved most. Sighing, Fate got up, the bones in her back popping as she stretched her cramped muscles. The couch really wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep. It hadn't been properly broken in. Who knew if it ever would be?

"I better bathe. I still smell like a bar."

It was a good thing her vacation started the day before. There was no way she was in any condition to go to work. Not only because she drank enough to make herself feel slightly ill, but she was also running on very little sleep. Those two combined were the enemies all people. Fate lightly smacked her cheeks. She couldn't let this get to her. It wasn't the ideal start to her vacation but it wasn't a complete loss. It was rare enough to be given a week off, a month was like winning the lottery. Her current state shouldn't deter her from getting some much needed R&R.

"This shouldn't become a habit though. No more reckless drinking for me."

Fate took a long soothing bath. It did wonders for her aching muscles. Who knew so much stress could have this sort of effect on the body? It was as if she'd been working out all day. After her nice soak, she prepared herself to go out. Maybe she'd visit Arf while she was out. Lindy was watching out for her ever since…that day. At the time, her familiar had been practically living with Yuuno since they worked together at the Infinity Library. Fate hadn't minded since it was a great help to her to have someone her familiar could stay with when she was away on long missions.

Arf had felt the anguish Fate experienced when she'd discovered Nanoha's secret. In good faith, Arf could not continue living with the blonde man. Every time she was around him, she'd remember the crippling sadness Fate felt and knew she needed to do something about it. Fate tried to keep her familiar from quitting her work at the library, but Arf would have none of it.

"_No! I can't work with the man that is causing Fate-chan so much pain! I refuse to betray you like that!"_

The blonde smiled sadly at the memory. She'd quickly broken down into the arms of the dog woman. Such a simple act of loyalty had reduced her into a crying mess. The last time she'd cried like that was when she was nine years old. Back when Precia was using her for her own needs. Back before Nanoha had saved her….

Sometimes it felt like a curse that all her memories, the good and the bad, were filled with Nanoha.

"I shouldn't be thinking of her like that right now."

She shouldn't be, not after she'd promised to give Vivio a chance.

"Vivio…"

How was she going to handle that? Making a decision about what to do about the younger girl didn't exactly give her an idea about **how** she'd go about dealing with it. Fate had little to no experience on actually dating. Her only crush, her only love had been Nanoha and that didn't exactly end like she'd wanted. She was probably more of an expert on heartbreak than actual love. Still, she needed to try. There was nothing worse than having your feelings pushed aside and after having her own feelings rejected; it made her want to give Vivio a chance to have her feelings returned. Having a chance, having feelings acknowledged…it's been all she wanted when she confessed. There was no guarantee that she would feel the kind of love that Vivio wanted from her, but that obviously didn't deter the younger blonde. If anything, it seemed to make her want to try even more. That head strong part of her was definitely a Takamachi trait.

"I hope I'm doing the right thing."

There were so many risks involved with what she was doing, but she couldn't doubt herself now. She needed someone to talk to about this. Hayate wouldn't be a bad choice since they were going to be having lunch later. Still, she had a feeling the brunette was going to freak out once she revealed what she had decided. She sighed once again. Feelings always made things more complicated. People in general were complicated. Sometimes she wished there was some sort of manual for things like this.

**-SomeoneLikeYou-**

"Are you up yet? You're going to be late for school!" Nanoha yelled from the bottom of the stair case.

Nanoha was in a bad mood on this morning. She'd gotten very little sleep and to top it all off, Vivio had once again disobeyed her and gone to Fate. Nanoha bit her lip. It felt like last night was the first time she'd gotten a good look at the blonde woman in ages. Things between them had become more fractured thanks to her relationship with Yuuno. Ever since then, she'd avoided looking directly at Fate. It'd become too hard to look at the person she hurt so much. She'd driven Fate to the point of her not wanting to be around her. How could she have done that? Fate had **always** put her needs above anything else. She'd never denied Nanoha anything. Not even when she'd selfishly asked if she'd continue to be her best friend after she'd rejected the blonde's feelings.

"I'm a cruel woman." She whispered to herself.

Her thoughts broken when Vivio came bounding down the stairs. The younger girl's mood was in the complete opposite spectrum of her mother's. She may have gotten little sleep, but she'd obtained something she didn't think Fate would have never given her: a chance. That small glimmer of hope that she would be able to win the heart of the person she had feelings for since she was a little girl. It was enough to make her want to squeal like a little girl.

Nanoha watched her daughter walk into the kitchen with that extra pep in her step and wondered what had caused it. Her memory was all too eager to supply her with the images of the night before, of Vivio hovering over Fate on the couch. Irritation gnawed at her.

She quickly served Vivio her normal breakfast of cereal while she had some toast and coffee. Vivio immediately took notice that Yuuno was nowhere to be seen. Now that she thought about it, he'd been missing after she'd returned home with her mother. Vivio's eyes flickered towards her mother, curious to see if she'd taken notice of this too. If Yuuno's absence bothered her mother she didn't show it. Vivio herself hadn't thought much of it then and she certainly didn't now. Her morning was that much better without him around.

"You're coming straight home after school. No going to friends' houses. No going to the gym to train... no sneaking out to see Fate-chan either."

"What!" Vivio's good morning came crashing down far too quickly for her liking.

Nanoha gave her daughter a look that said she should know exactly why she was being punished.

"You know perfectly well why."

Vivio looked like she was about to retort but stopped herself. Nanoha raised an eyebrow at this. Usually, Vivio didn't stop her outbursts. If anything, things tended to degenerate into a shouting match between mother and daughter, much like what had happened the night before. She watched in odd fascination as Vivio held back any biting remarks.

"How long?"

Nanoha was not use to seeing her daughter so subdued. When was the last time they'd talked like this without needing to raise their voices?

"One week."

Nanoha could tell she was still struggling to keep herself from bursting out in indignant rage over her punishment. To her credit, Vivio did not give into her feelings of anger. Instead, Fate's words rang through her mind. Nanoha was her mother. Fate had scolded her for being so disrespectful to her. She had to admit, she never felt more ashamed of how she'd been acting towards her mother until Fate said something about it. As frustrating as it was, Vivio knew Fate had a point. She couldn't keep acting like a child, not if she was going to stand a chance at winning Fate's heart. Whatever issues she had with her mother and her boyfriend couldn't continue.

Even if she hated to do this, she had to be civil towards Yuuno. He had been the cause of most of her and her mother's arguments so in order to keep those to a minimum, the only logical thing to do was attempt some civility towards the man she once saw as an uncle. If Fate could somehow do it then she could too.

"Fine." She grumbled.

For a moment, Nanoha caught a glimpse of the child she'd once been. An image of a 10 year old Vivio briefly replaced the teenage one, a pout firmly in place for not getting her way, but smiling a moment later telling her mother how much she loved her. The image faded and Vivio was still sitting there, pout still in place, but no smile was directed at her.

"Can I still make calls?"

Nanoha contemplated this. It wouldn't be much of a punishment if she could still talk to her friends. She hoped her answer didn't set Vivio off.

"No, you can only do so if it's an emergency."

Her daughter remained silent.

"Fine." Was Vivio's eventual response. Nanoha was relieved that, for once, they wouldn't be fighting about anything.

"You better hurry or you'll be late for school."

Vivio nodded and finished her cereal as fast as she could. After placing her bowl in the sink, she grabbed her bag and rushed out the door. Nanoha watched from the window as Vivio left without so much as turning back to wave good bye to her. Again, the imagine of her daughter shifted to her younger self, waving good bye to her mother as she left for school.

"_You are a great mother, Nanoha."_

Startled, Nanoha looked behind her.

"Fate-chan?" she whispered. She could've sworn she'd just heard Fate's voice, but that was impossible. Fate wasn't there. She wasn't with her anymore. Her eyes drifted over to the chair that used to be Fate's. It'd never been removed from its spot at the table. It was probably one of the last things she and Vivio had agreed upon, albeit silently. They'd hoped that one day, its rightful owner would return. Nanoha felt it become harder to breathe the longer she looked at that empty spot.

In that moment, Fate's absence suddenly seemed much more evident.

**-SomeoneLikeYou-**

Fate sat at the booth of a little restaurant near the base. Hayate had sent her a message letting her know where to meet her. Evidently, Signum would be joining them as well. She still wasn't sure how she felt about the whole thing, but after her visit with Lindy, she felt slightly better about the course of action she'd decided to take.

"_It's just a crush."_

The blonde Enforcer recalled her mother saying. It wasn't like she hadn't considered this before. Teenagers weren't exactly known for their rationality with all the hormones their bodies were producing in order for their bodies to grow. She'd been there and hormones had been the bane of her existence. She knew from the kids around her that crushes came and went with little to no consequence. Dating was done for the sake of dating as opposed to any actual commitment from any party. On rare occasions, something more could actually come from these flings, but from what Fate saw, the majority of the time kids were just playing at love. Was Vivio also just playing at something she didn't understand?

"_What if it's not?"_

She'd asked. There was always the distinct possibility that the younger blonde wasn't just experience a crush. This could be the real deal. If it was then had she made the right choice to allow her feeling to flourish? She hated suddenly doubting her decision to give Vivio a chance.

"_Then you do what is right."_

Lindy had responded. The right thing…. How come that was the default answer? What a vague and completely unhelpful answer. Whenever she heard that phrase uttered she felt like screaming in frustration.

"_How do I know I'm doing the right thing? How!"_

Her mother then took her into her arms and held her tightly. Fate hugged her mother back. She'd never felt more at ease than when her mother gave her one of her hugs. The only thing better than Lindy's hugs had been Nanoha's, but she hadn't been getting any of those in a while.

"_Fate… I trust whatever it is you've planned for Vivio. I know you and I know that you'd never do something that would harm that child. Even if it's unconventional, even if others may not understand…just know that I support you."_

That unfaltering support…

Fate closed her eyes and smiled. What would she do without her mother? What would she do without that support? Steeling her resolve, she decided she was going to go into this with no regrets, but before she could do that, she needed to talk to Nanoha. That was one talk she was certainly not looking forward to, no matter how necessary it was. For now though, she better practice what she was going to say on Hayate and Signum. Those two, were her closest friends and confidants. She trusted they would be brutally honest with her. At least Signum would be for sure. Hayate….well she'd never been one to be overly serious, but when she was, you'd had better listen and listen well.

"Fate-chan!" Hayate waved enthusiastically as she and Signum approached.

"Testarossa." Signum greeted in her usual serious manner.

"Hey guys."

The two women seated themselves opposite of the blonde. A waitress came by and took their drink orders while they looked over the menu. While they waited for their drinks, Fate filled them in on what happened after they'd dropped her off from the bar.

"So Nanoha came in, guns blazing…."

"There was no blazing of any sort…" Fate began but Hayate ignored the blonde's attempts to keep the story grounded in reality.

"Demanding her daughter be released from your evil clutches..."

"I don't have evil clutches…" Fate tried again.

"But Vivio had already fallen under your spell with promises of candy…."

"Now you're just making me sound like a genuine pedophile." Fate said aggravated.

"Oh the innocent soul that has been caught in your web of evil!" Hayate wailed dramatically.

Fate looked over at Signum who seemed to be ignoring her master's antics.

"Can't you do something about her?"

"You can't win." Was Signum's simple answer. Sadly she was probably right.

"Hayate…." Fate whined.

"Haha, sorry Fate-chan, but you have to admit, my story is a lot more entertaining than your version."

"I wasn't trying to entertain anyone."

"Well I'm going to tell it my way."

"Please don't…" Fate could only imagine the horrors that kind of story would produce.

"Fine, party pooper, so anything else that happened?"

Fate hesitated. So far, she'd told them everything except the part about having told Vivio that she was giving her a chance.

"_It's now or never."_

"There is something else."

Hayate looked at her expectantly and although Signum didn't look like she was paying attention to her, Fate knew better by the way the pink haired woman's eyes stopped scanning the menu. The waitress came by and dropped of their drinks before heading off again to the other tables. Hayate brought her cup of tea to her lips at the moment Fate decided it would be a good idea to answer.

"I'm giving Vivio a chance."

Hayate instantly spit out her tea…right in Fate's face. The blonde blinked unsure if what had just happened had actually happened. By the look on Signum's face though, it probably did.

"C-come again?" Hayate coughed.

"I'm giving Vivio a chance."

This time, Hayate grabbed Signum's tea, drank it, and spit it in Fate's face again. This time the blonde didn't question whether her friend actually spit tea on her.

"My office. Now." Hayate's commanding voice left no room for Fate to argue. Fate cast a forlorn look at her menu. She had a feeling the last thing she was going to be doing in Hayate's office was eating a delicious lunch. She didn't have much time to dwell on it since Signum pulled her out of her booth and promptly lead her to their car. As the car door shut behind her, she wondered if Nanoha would be spitting a pink beam in her face instead of tea.

**AN:** Finally managed to finish this. I know there wasn't much humor in this chapter but I tried to make up for it with that last bit with Hayate. So, reviews are always appreciated. I do like hearing what your guys take is on how the story is developing. Till next time!


	4. Chapter 4

**AN**: Wow it's been awhile for this one. I hope you all didn't give up on this story in that time (if you did I don't blame you). Unlike my other stories where I have a good idea about where they are headed, I'm completely clueless about where I want to go with this one. That and writers block is a bitch. Thanks again to **Timmy Sparx** for proof reading this. Alright, let's get on with the story shall we?

Someone Like You

It felt like the ride to the base was longer than it should have been. Fate figured it was because she was dreading how the conversation with her friends was going to turn out. She was thankful though for having some time to think about how she was going to word everything. That would make or break the conversation. Hayate would tear down any weak argument she threw at her so she couldn't afford to wing it. The car came to a halt, snapping Fate out of her thoughts. The three women walked towards the building in silence. It was slightly unnerving for Fate but this showed how serious Hayate was taking this matter. Vivio was just like a niece to the brunette commander. Family was something she never took for granted and she'd do anything for those in her family.

Hayate opened the door to her office allowing Fate to walk in first followed by Signum then herself.

"Hayate-chan! I thought you were at lunch?" Reinforce Zwei asked her master.

"Change of plans Rein-chan."

Reinforce Zwei noticed the serious manner in which her master answered and immediately shifted from her playful manner.

"Should I place all calls on hold?"

"Please. If they must speak with me it had better be a life or death matter."

"I understand."

Hayate turned to Fate. "Take a seat."

The brunette commander sat in her chair, which made her look a lot more intimidating than usual. Fate took a seat and wondered if Hayate was going to just lecture her about her decision. She waited patiently for Hayate to either begin her lecture or give her a chance to explain herself.

"I thought we agreed that this matter was going to take some thought."

"I realize that, but I didn't have the luxury to do so."

"Because of what happened last night?"

"Yes."

Hayate leaned back in her chair. "I want to hear your reasons behind your decision."

Fate nodded. Taking a deep breathe, she began by asking a question.

"Tell me Hayate, do you think Vivio is capable of making decisions for herself?"

Hayate seemed a bit surprised at the question but she decided to give her honest answer.

"I think she is."

"Why do you think that?"

Hayate took a moment to think of her reasons.

"She's not your ordinary girl and I don't mean because of how she was born. She's been through things that no child should. You two are very much a like in that aspect. These experiences don't just leave you. For better or for worse, these things stick with you and have a part in shaping who you are. Vivio knows more about the world than the kids she goes to school with. She may be a teenager but I think that shouldn't be a reason to think she isn't able to think for herself. She knows what she wants and will stop at nothing to get there." Hayate chuckled. "You can't help but compare her to her mother."

Fate smiled sadly. Vivio did share many characteristics that Nanoha had. It was further proof that you didn't have to carry the genes of the person who raised you to be just like them. Fate couldn't help but compare herself to her adopted mother. Much like how Vivio developed some of Nanoha's characteristics, she'd done the same with Lindy.

"I agree with your assessment. It's the reason that I'm giving her a chance."

"Are you sure it's the right thing to do?"

"I've asked myself that a lot. Those what-ifs and self-doubt constantly gnawing at me, but…. Vivio may or may not actually be in love with me, but she is willing to prove that she is. She was willing to put her feelings out there without the guarantee that I'd take her seriously. I think she knows exactly how this could all end but that doesn't scare her. She just wants a chance."

"What about you? Are you sure you're completely okay with this?"

Fate smiled slightly. "I'd be lying if I said I was completely comfortable with it. She's only 16 after all, but I know my limits Hayate. I won't do anything recklessly. She's still an important person to me."

Hayate sighed. "What about Nanoha? You know she's not going to go for this. If her reaction from the party was any indication, she's not going to just let her daughter date you."

"I plan to talk to her."

"I fear for your safety."

Fate laughed nervously. "So do I, but if Vivio is serious about this then she needs Nanoha's permission to go ahead with it. I won't overstep my boundaries with Vivio if Nanoha forbids it."

"Vivio won't take that very well if she does."

"No but it's the only way to do it. Even if she wanted to do it in secret, I wouldn't be able to go through with it and I doubt that Nanoha would take it very well either. Things would end **very** badly."

"Badly for you." Hayate sighed once again. She couldn't deny the fact that even though the decision was made a lot faster than she thought, Fate had thought this out. She'd been afraid her blonde friend was jumping the gun on this matter, but she could see now that wasn't the case. "I promised I wouldn't judge the decision you came to and I stand by my word. If anything, I know this decision wasn't an easy thing to come to. I've got your back Fate."

"Thank you, Hayate."

Hayate looked at her watch. This meeting had taken most of her lunch time, but it was well worth it. This had given her some piece of mind and she was sure that Fate must had felt better knowing someone else supported her decision.

"What do you say I order us something? It's the least I can do for keeping you from eating."

Fate waved her off. "Don't worry about it. I'll stop by Lindy's and join her for dinner."

"Mooching of your mother?" Hayate teased.

Fate chuckled. "I think she'd be insulted if I didn't once in a while."

Fate stood up and decided it was time to go home and prepare for her visit to Lindy. Since she had so much vacation time, she definitely wanted to use some of it spending some time with her family. She could have a nice salad so she wouldn't spoil her appetite for Lindy's cooking. She waved good-bye to the two women and was about to walk out but bumped into someone.

"Ah, I'm sorr…" Fate stopped breathing. Before her was the last person she expected.

Nanoha looked equally as tongue tied as Fate.

"Fate-chan…."

"Nanoha…."

"Nanoha-chan!" Hayate jumped up from her seat. She hoped she could make this encounter less unpleasant for everyone involved. "Come in, come in!"

Nanoha was snapped out of her daze and looked in Hayate's direction.

"Umm, I've been trying to get through to you for a while now. I thought something might be wrong."

"Ah, nothing was wrong! I was just in a meeting."

Nanoha glanced Fate's way then back to Hayate.

"With who?"

"With Fate." Hayate answered without missing a beat.

"Oh. What was so important that no calls were allowed through?"

"Hayate is planning a surprise for Carim." Fate answered quickly. "She was running the idea by me and didn't want her surprise to accidently be discovered by anyone. I hope you can keep the secret."

"Sure." Nanoha answered hesitantly. There was definitely something more going on here but she had no proof of that. All she knew before coming to Hayate's office was that she'd seen a certain blonde walking with them. She would have thought nothing of the three women walking through the base but the serious atmosphere that surrounded the trio made her curious.

"I better get going." Fate waved once more to Hayate and Signum. She was about to walk out the door but stopped. Nanoha was right there. What better chance than to ask for that meeting she wanted. "Nanoha?"

"Yes?"

Fate hesitated. She was fearful of what she was going to ask but she kept reminding herself that this was the only way.

"Can we get together for coffee tomorrow?"

Nanoha tried not to look as startled as she felt. Fate was asking her out. Granted it was for coffee, but this was such a rare thing. The blonde Enforcer hadn't asked her out to do anything since she discovered she and Yuuno were dating. If anything, the blonde spent most of her time avoiding Nanoha. It'd hurt and it still did, but here she was, asking her to get together again.

"Okay, what time?"

"Does 8am sound good?"

"It's fine." Nanoha smiled slightly. Fate knew that she had a little bit of free time before she needed to be on the field to teach her classes. Fate was always considerate like that. There was a tug at her heart, thinking about how Fate use to always do little things like make her coffee in the mornings or cook her breakfast on her days off. All just so she'd get a good start to her morning. She missed those things now that she no longer had it.

"Okay, see you."

With that, Fate finally left Hayate's office. Nanoha couldn't help but watch as Fate disappeared down the hallway.

"Can I help you with something Nanoha-chan?"

Nanoha turned back to Hayate.

"It's nothing. I better get going to."

"Alright. See you later."

Nanoha waved before leaving. Hayate sighed. This situation between the Takamachi women and Fate was going to get worse before it got better.

"It will be alright." Signum spoke.

"I hope so; otherwise, I have a feeling Fate will be the one with the short end of the stick."

Signum couldn't help but agree with that assessment. If push came to shove, Fate would put not only Vivio's well-being, but Nanoha's before her own. The pink haired women could see Fate possibly sacrificing her friendships in order to make sure that Nanoha would have people to turn to if their situation got bad enough.

"We'll just have to make sure she doesn't let it get to that point."

"We definitely won't." Hayate agreed.

**xxx**

"For real?" an excited Rio asked.

"Yup!" Vivio was practically glowing. Her friends immediately noticed that she'd been in very good mood all morning. They'd already expected this seeing as she'd worked up the courage to finally confess to Fate. This though, was something else. Corona and Rio didn't hesitate to ask what had Vivo in such a good mood. Vivio was only too happy to reveal what had happened that night. Caro and Rio squealed in delight.

"I can't believe it! Congrats Viv!" Corona hugged her friend excitedly.

"We're so happy for you! I didn't think Fate-san would actually give you a chance. This is the best!" Rio joined in the group hug.

As the girls joined in joy at Vivio's accomplishment, there was one in their group who didn't share in their joy. Einhart simply sat off to the side looking blankly at her friends. It was something that wasn't unusual though. Einhart wasn't one to be very expressive; at least she wasn't now a days. When she and Vivio first struck up their friendship she certainly could remind everyone of a younger Fate but much like Fate, she was mellowed out and became more outgoing. Entering into her teenage years however, seemed to turn her into a more reserved person. It was probably all those teenage hormones affecting her already natural quiet self.

"Hey Ein-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Mama has me grounded for a week because of last night so I'm banned from making any calls or going anywhere. So I was hoping you could deliver something to Fate-chan for me?"

"….."

"Please?"

Einhart sighed. She never said no to anything Vivio asked of her. It always confused her as to why that was. She could easily shrug off anyone else and even Corona and Rio were denied things. Vivio though was special. Even as kids she had her coming and going and Einhart did nothing except go along for the ride. She'd though perhaps it was because of who she was descended from. Ingvalt had seen Olivie as someone very dear to him. Vivio may not be Olivie's direct descendant but it was close enough. Those feelings of her ancestor wanting to protect Olivie had made her want to protect Vivio. The younger girl though didn't need much protecting with how strong she already was, but that didn't stop Einhart.

"Okay."

Vivio broke away from Rio and Corona to give Einhart a hug of her own.

"Thanks Ein-chan."

Einhart was glad that no one could see how much she was blushing from the hug. It was something she was trying to get better about but lately she found herself doing more blushing and general daydreaming than she'd care to admit. Something was wrong with her. Maybe she was becoming ill.

**xxx**

Fate walked through into her apartment feeling a bit better about everything she'd decided on. Hayate had her back and her mother also supported her. What more could she ask for?

"_Nanoha not Starlight Breaking me tomorrow?"_

Fate had to chuckle. Nanoha Starlight Breaking her enemies into friendship had become a running joke among them. What wasn't funny though was the way those Starlight Breakers seemed to increase with power. Fate always felt like she got the better end of the deal since she only had to take it on once when Nanoha was just starting out. Nowadays it would seem like near suicide to try to take a blast head on. Vivio though knew exactly what one of those felt like. She too probably wouldn't wish the experience on anyone else. Fate sprawled out on her couch. It was still early in the afternoon and most of the people she knew were hard at work at the base. She almost wished she was one of them. These long vacations really weren't for her. Perhaps at one time she would've wished for more of them, but in her current situation, she would have preferred to have her normal week break. Rolling on her side, she reached for the remote and began flipping through the channels.

She'd never really been one for TV. Nothing really ever caught her eye. Nanoha loved drama's though and Vivio enjoyed them to some degree as well. The two would sometimes spend their evenings catching up on their favorite shows together. She couldn't help but wonder if the two still did that. It would be sad if they stopped enjoying something together. With the way they were arguing the other night though, it wouldn't be too farfetched to say they must not do a lot together anymore. Shaking off her train of thoughts, Fate went back to channel surfing before setting on a random action movie. With the sound of the TV being the only thing in the apartment, Fate drifted off to sleep.

A knock eventually brought her back from dreamland.

Rubbing her eyes, Fate sat up a bit confused at first. The knock came again.

"Coming." Fate yawned as she stood up. She couldn't help but wonder who was visiting her. It could be Hayate checking up on her or even Signum. She made a mental note to perhaps subtly tell them that they didn't need to keep a constant eye on her. She was fine.

Fate certainly hadn't expected Einhart to be standing at her door.

"Oh Ein-chan. This is certainly a surprise. Please come in."

Einhart shook her head. "I'm just here on a delivery."

"Delivery?"

Einhart held out an envelope. Fate took it and looked it over. She recognized the handwriting right away.

"From Vivio?"

Einhart nodded. "She is being punished for last night."

"Ah, so she told you."

"Yes."

Fate wasn't surprised that Vivio would share in the good news with her friends. She also wasn't surprised by the fact that Nanoha dealt swift punishment to her daughter. Not that Fate could blame her. Vivio had been out of line but she hoped that it wasn't too harsh of a punishment. It was obvious that emotions were running high with both of them and things could have gone a lot worse.

"What's her punishment?"

"She's grounded from all activities outside her home. She also can't make calls."

That explained the letter.

"I see. Do you know for how long?"

"A week."

A lean punishment considering it came from Nanoha.

"Thank you for delivering this."

"You're welcome."

"If you don't mind, can I ask a favor of you as well?"

"I don't see why not."

"If It's not too much trouble, can you stop by tomorrow morning? I'll have a note for Vivio as well and I was hoping you could deliver it for me." Fate would deliver it herself, but something told her Nanoha would be keeping a better eye on her daughter after tomorrow's meeting.

"I will stop by."

"Thank you Ein-chan."

Einhart nodded and turned to leave but stopped.

"It's true then."

"What is?" Fate asked confused.

"Giving Vivio a chance."

"Yes."

Einhart looked pensive.

"I see."

She said no more and left. Fate wondered what that was all about. Shrugging, she closed the door and returned to the couch. She opened the letter up and smiled a bit. It reminded her of the notes she use to pass around with her friends in school. The few times they got caught, they were forced to read in front of the class. That was embarrassing especially for her. Hayate didn't seem to mind as much and made a spectacle of herself when she'd been forced to read her own note. Chuckling she went back to reading the letter. Vivo explained how she wasn't allowed to make call or go anywhere for the week. It was just like Einhart had told her. Vivio added that if she needed to contact her, she'd do it via one of her friends. Well this certainly was one way to game the system. Nanoha couldn't prevent Vivio from asking her friends to pass notes or even make calls for her. At the end of the letter she signed it "Love, Vivio" but Fate could tell that the love part had been erased more than once. She could picture Vivio blushing as she erased and rewrote that part.

"_How cute."_

Fate placed the letter on her coffee table and wondered what she should write back. Deciding she should probably tell her about the coffee meeting with Nanoha, Fate went in search of some paper and a pen. Fate had a sneaking suspicion that Nanoha would definitely tell her daughter they'd be meeting. The last thing she wanted was for Vivio to misunderstand the situation so the more knew about what she was doing the better.

"Those two will be the death of me." Fate sighed as she began writing her letter.

**xxx**

Nanoha woke up extra early the next morning. She only had some toast and orange juice for breakfast before making something for Vivio. The teenager realized her mother was doing things a bit earlier than usual but couldn't figure out why. Curiosity got the better of her so she asked.

"You're in a hurry this morning. Do you have a meeting or something?"

"No…" Nanoha hesitated for a moment. She almost wanted to hide if from Vivio that she was meeting Fate but part of her wanted to rub it in her face too. She gave in to the latter. "I'm meeting Fate-chan for coffee."

There was this smug feeling of satisfaction when Vivio dropped her fork of eggs with a look of disbelief on her face. Nanoha turned away and headed for the door.

"I need to get going. Make sure you lock up before you leave."

Vivio was brought out of her stupor at the sound of the door closing. She took several deep breathes and calmed her racing thoughts. So her mother was meeting with Fate. That was no big deal right? Maybe they were going to talk about work or something. There was no reason to think they were meeting in a romantic sense.

"_There's an explanation for this." _Vivio thought to herself. _"That's right. Fate-chan has to have a reason. I have to believe in her."_

Fate said she'd give Vivio a chance and she wasn't the type of person who'd go back on her word. She never had before and there was no reason to think she'd start now. There was a reason she was meeting with her mother and she just had to be patient to find out what it was about. Having lost her appetite, she threw out the remains of her breakfast and cleaned up a bit before heading for school. She hoped her classes would keep her distracted enough until they got a free moment for one of her friends to call Fate.

**xxx**

Fate sat nervously outside the little café just outside the base. When she'd woken up that morning, she felt great like she was on top of the world. Einhart stopped by like she'd promised and her letter was handed off. Then she left her apartment and good feelings began to take a more gloomy turn. Her nerves, more than anything, were off the charts. Even speaking to Hayate hadn't made her feel this nervous. These nerves made her feel nauseous. It made her want to turn around and run away, but she kept pushing herself forward. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Nanoha could bring out these kinds of feelings from her. She reached the café and claimed a table for herself and Nanoha. The waitress asked for her order but she decided to wait until Nanoha got there before she got a drink.

She looked at her watch. It was almost time.

"Fate-chan…"

Fate swallowed the lump in her throat. She turned around to find Nanoha standing behind her.

"Nanoha…." Fate cleared her throat. "Have a seat." She motioned to the chair across from her.

Nanoha did so just as the waitress came back. They placed their orders and waited in silence for their drinks. Thoughts raced through both their minds. It'd been so long since the last time it was just them. They couldn't even think about what to talk about anymore unlike before when they'd be up for hours just talking about nothing.

"I hope this isn't inconveniencing you." Fate broke the ice.

"Oh, no it's not. And even if I was going to be a bit late, Vita-chan can cover for me."

"Not before chewing you out, I assume?"

Nanoha giggled. "Vita-chan means well."

Their coffee arrived shortly. Fate proceeded to drench her coffee in creamer and sugar. Nanoha was glad to see that something's hadn't changed. Fate's taste for overly sweet drinks came from Lindy. Even Chrono seemed to prefer his coffee and tea in the same manner. People would gawk at first once they got a look at just how much sugar was used in those drinks. When Fate lived with her, she'd make sure they were always stocked on sugar lest they run out and Fate would be left without being able to drink coffee or tea. It was one of the only times anyone would catch sight of a grumpy Fate.

"How are your classes going?"

"Well. There are some promising cadets but none at the same level as those four."

Fate chuckled. "They set the bar pretty high."

Teana, Subaru, Caro and Erio had been the only ones that had impressed Nanoha and it seemed that it would continue to be that way. If anything, a truly impress class wouldn't be seen until Vivio and her friends entered the TSAB in a few months. The age requirement to join had been raised in the years since she and Nanoha joined the TSAB. In her opinion it was a good thing. Kids shouldn't be the ones fighting intergalactic wars. They should be enjoying their youth to the fullest before committing themselves to something like that. Now that Vivio was sixteen though, she had the chance to begin training as a cadet along with her friends Corona and Rio. Strangely though, Einhart had yet to join even though she'd been eligible for two years. Maybe she'd been waiting for all her friends to be old enough so they'd go together.

"With Vivio joining soon, I think that will change." Nanoha commented.

Fate nodded in agreement.

"In terms of individual skills, I think Vivio and Einhart will stand out. Corona and Rio will be close on their heels though."

"All that training with Subaru and Nove has given them an edge." Nanoha took a sip of her drink. "They've been preparing for this for a while."

"Seeing as she has you to live up to, I think Vivio felt she needed all the prep time she could get."

It was true that whispers of Vivio joining had increased as her birthday approached. Everyone was expecting to see great things from the younger blonde including herself, but she kept her expectations far more grounded than everyone else. She, Nanoha, and Hayate only were able to become as famous as they were thanks to circumstance. They were there for some pretty big events in the history of the TSAB. The Jewel Seed Incident, The Book of Darkness Incident, and finally the JS Incident; these were the kinds of things someone had to face in order to gain the fame they did. She honestly hoped Vivio wouldn't have to go through more than she already did, but that may be asking for too much.

"Nyaha, I don't think she has to do as much as I did."

An almost comfortable silence settled between them. Fate hated that she was about to completely ruin that comfort between them, but if this small talk kept up, she'd never get the guts to say it before Nanoha had to leave for her class.

"Nanoha," She began. The auburn haired woman focused on her. "I called you here to tell you something important."

"What is it?" Nanoha felt a tension that wasn't there before. It worried her.

Fate took a deep breath and prayed to whoever was listening that Nanoha would not Starlight Breaker her on the spot. If she was going to she hoped she'd at least wait until they weren't near so many civilians. Fate looked Nanoha in the eyes. A look of utmost seriousness etched in her face.

"I'm giving Vivio a chance."

**AN:** I'm a horrible person for ending it there and you can tell me so in your reviews. What can I say? Cliffhangers. They're what I do. Anyway, this chapter was a bitch to finish but I did it. I somehow did it. After all the rewrites, fist shaking, and yelling at my computer for the last month. I must have seemed like a crazy person. Well, I hope you all enjoyed. Couldn't tell you when to expect the next chapter seeing as this one took what? Over a year? Geez that was a long time. I think my real problem is I don't know who Fate should end up with so I can't really write the story in the direction I want. Once I know who I think I can better plan out the path for the story to get there. I guess I'll just stew on the matter longer. Until next time!


End file.
